Joy Naylor

Joy was born in Birmingham and studied at the Royal College of Music, London where she was awarded a number of prizes including an Austrian Government Scholarship to study Lieder at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. After a further two years of study at the RCM Opera School she joined Opera North. Joy has also sung principal roles for Birmingham Music Theatre, Precinct Opera and the City of Birmingham Touring Opera as well as broadcasting on both BBC radio and television.

On the concert stage Joy has been the soloist with orchestras such as the English String Orchestra, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and has performed in all the major concert venues in the country.

In addition to her extensive standard repertoire Joy also sang contemporary works, including the London premiere of Philip Wilby's oratorio 'The Temptations of Christ in Westminster Abbey and gave the first performance of John Joubert's chamber work 'The Phoenix and the Turtle'. Following her recital in St. Martin's in the fields, London, Joy was invited to Malta by UNESCO to give the world premiere of Charles Camilleri's Song Cycle 'Songs of an Infant Species'. She also had the honour of being the soprano soloist in the first complete performance of Handel's 'Messiah' to be performed in Kuwait.

Joy now concentrates on sharing her knowledge and passion for singing with students across a wide range of ages and styles. She has a thriving private practice in Cheshire, conducts a community choir, works as an adjudicator, leads vocal workshops, and has been a Vocal Tutor at the JRNCM for sixteen years. Her students have included a BBC Choir Girl of the Year, members of the NYC GB, The Rodolfus Choir, and Eton Choral Courses. Many students have been awarded Choral Scholarships at Oxford and Cambridge Universities or have gone on to study at the major Conservatoires of Music and colleges of Music Theatre and Drama Schools.

In 2009, she represented AOTOS at the European Voice Teachers' Association 'Vocal Pedagogy' course in Sweden and has been a Mentor and Presenter on the 'Pathways to Teaching course as well as giving presentations at AOTOS conferences. From 2014-2020 she was the Professional Development Assistant to the Training Director for the PDC for Advanced Teachers.

Joy was part of the small team of AOTOS teachers who designed and planned a ground breaking online training course for new teachers of singing. It is called 'Essentials' and is a wonderful additional resource of knowledge and sound advice which AOTOS can share.

Joy has recently started to play a brass instrument and gained ABRSM grade 3 on the tenor horn which she plays in her local Salvation Army band!

Joy joined the AOTOS Council as Teacher Development Director in July 2022.